JAY POZO
Background and expectations:
PERSONAL BACKGROUND:
Born in Toronto and raised in Vancouver, I have a love for the urban and a need for the beauty that can be found surrounding us in BC. My background in Computer Science married with years of communication design led to my pursuit of a degree in design at SIAT.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:
Out of high school I pursued a Computer Science degree for 2 years at Capilano College. My interests changed and I chose to work in the computer industry, and later met designers from Emily Carr who sparked my interest in communication design. A private school diploma and many years of in-house design paved my path to Simon Fraser University’s School of Interactive Design, where I am now a 4th year undergrad student.
WHY DID YOU APPLY FOR ITALIADESIGN?
Knowledge of the Italia Design field school is part of the culture at SIAT. Being a student at SFU Surrey exposes you to the past and prospective students for the field school. I was constantly speaking with others about the trip, about their past experiences in Italy, and with the new group about what they were studying in preparation for their upcoming trip. I had taken a hiatus from studying for a semester and decided to visit the info session for the 2009 trip. Seeing the work that the previous group had compiled and sitting there with friends that I enjoyed working with in previous semesters had me convinced that I had to apply for the same year.
Experiences In-field:
WHAT DID YOU LEARN:
Generally?
The value of vision behind design. It was such a common theme when we conducted our research and interviews on Italian designers, architects and creatives. It’s one of the biggest things that being in Italy has reminded me of in the work that I pursue now.
About design, design process, and innovation?
Make things! All the time! IaN+, Labics, Metrogramma, Fuksas – they all entered competitions, and produced sketches for their thinking, whether it was physical or pen on paper. These things enabled their thinking and aided their process. Being able to discuss ideas and having something to refer to, whether it’s a model or a drawing, is really important for discourse.
About cities?
Being in the cities that we visited reminded me how much I loved the energy of a crowded city. The perspective that we gained in the pre-trip studies really enhanced my appreciation for what the cities were.
About living away from home?
I’ve lived on my own for many years now – living in Italy away from my close friends and family really made me appreciate the people that I have in my life.
About group dynamics?
Everybody is different but valuable. I would do this trip again in a second, in the exact same way with the exact same people. We didn’t always get along 100% but in the end we went through it
all together.
FAVOURITE MOMENTS OR INTERACTIONS:
In daily life?
Good food! We ate such good food while we were in-field. I have a new appreciation for what I eat here at home and I still won’t eat at McDonald’s.
During course work?
My birthday! There was surprise cake!
In an interview?
Metrogramma! The model of the spaces in between buildings of Milan was such a great example of the innovative thinking that we kept seeing over and over while we were in-field.
With the group?
This has got to be when Ross and I cooked a Filipino dish for the group in Dolciano. We were longing for some chicken adobo and finally gathered most of the ingredients. The food in Italy was unbelievable but I was pretty excited to have a big mountain of white rice covered in one of my favourite dishes from back home. It was nice to be able to share this with the group.
FAVOURITE PLACE OR SPACE:
The Piazzale Michelangelo – I ran here pretty much every other morning that I was in Florence. In the early mornings, the sun would light up the tops of the buildings and the Piazzale was empty. I could look out and think about what we were about to do that day, reflect on my favourite buildings, and just have a quiet moment looking at the beauty that was Florence. It was also a really good place for us all to go and enjoy some wine together on a couple of nights.
MY TRANSCENDENT MOMENT
The Uffizi! Realizing the parallels between what we were studying in becoming creatives and the creative achievements of the Italians from ancient history through the High Renaissance was such a profound experience for me. It was so inspiring to see great things result from the ideas that we have been studying for a few semesters.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STUDYING ABROAD AND STUDYING AT HOME:
Studying at home is a challenge in itself – time management, resource management. Being in Italy and studying challenged me to be able to do these things, as well as appreciate what Italy had to offer – the places, the food, the people. Being abroad definitely enhanced my overall learning – simply living in another country was an exciting learning experience. This energy fed my studies and sharpened my mind for learning.
CAN YOU COMMENT ON THE VALUE OF THE FULL SEMESTER OF CONTEXTUAL, CULTURAL, AND HISTORICAL STUDIES PRIOR TO IN-FIELD WORK?
About language?
So important! Getting “in” with the Italian people made for a rich experience – more than once, my ability to speak and understand Italian with a native speaker excited them and motivated them in our interaction.
About Italian history?
The lens that this learning created gave me such a deep understanding of what we were looking at, and an appreciation of what it takes to become an innovator. The history of innovation and creation in Italy is a great example of the benefit of standing on the shoulders of your predecessors. Seeing the history of places was also good to understand the shape of things that we were seeing in Italy – its neighbourhoods, buildings and people.
CAN YOU COMMENT ON THE LEGACY PROJECT OF THE ITALIADESIGN FIELD SCHOOL?
It is such a great thing to see the knowledge economy at work at SFU around this project. The work from previous trips was so essential in our learning and an important part of becoming a designer. I hope we can build on what is there now to provide a valuable learning artifact for future groups.
Reflecting:
CAREER GOALS, ASPIRATIONS, AND INTERESTS POST-FIELD SCHOOL?
After coming back from Italy, I left my full time job at Blast Radius to finish my degree. I took a job at Emily Carr with Jim Budd to work on interaction design projects. I hope to finish off my undergrad, pursue a master’s degree and produce some interesting projects in interaction design.
DID YOU MEET YOUR PRE-TRIP GOALS?
Before we left for Italy I made a list of things that I wanted to do while I was there. I made a friend that lives in Italy and did as many things as I could while I was there. I didn’t get to see the Vatican museum or the cupola at St Peter’s, but they’re first on my list for my next trip to Italy.
WHAT IMPACT HAS THE FIELD SCHOOL HAD ON YOU?
My perspective on life here has changed for certain. I have a renewed appreciation for beauty and a need to pursue more than what I was doing before the trip. It reminded me of why I decided to go into design in the first place – to be able to create interesting things for people to think about.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR UPCOMING ITALIADESIGN STUDENTS?
Write every day! You don’t want to forget what you do there. And be in the moment every day. It gets tough to be away from home and your friends but you have to get out of your comfort zone to really appreciate this unique opportunity.